Erik Grimm
| cityofbirth = Nuremberg | countryofbirth = Germany | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Midfielder | currentclub = PSC Pirates | clubnumber = 7 | youthyears = 2010-2012 2012 2013-2014 | youthclubs = 1. FC Nürnberg Triton Trojans Temple Owls | years = 2015-2019 2019- | clubs = Rivergate PSC Pirates | caps(goals) = | nationalyears = | nationalteam = | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Erik Grimm (born March 28, 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays for Gregorian League A club Port St. Christopher Pirates. A central and attacking midfielder, Grimm has played his entire professional career in St. Gregory since joining Rivergate at age 20. Early life and youth/college career Born in Nuremberg, Grimm began playing football from an early age in local youth competitions. He grew up supporting 1. FC Nürnberg and later went on to join the club's youth academy. After two years, however, he was released and was not offered a professional contract. At age 18, Grimm moved to the United States where he enrolled at Triton College near Chicago, playing one year for the successful Trojans side before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia and playing for two more years there. Club career Rivergate After leaving Temple in December 2014, Grimm became a free agent and traveled to St. Gregory, where he practiced with several League A clubs including Bonneville United, Rivergate and Manorham, before signing with Rivergate on January 13, 2015, through the end of the 2015-16 season. He made his debut for River on January 17, in a 1-1 home draw with Winston Beach and appeared in 18 games in 2014-15, only missing a February 28 clash with Bonneville United due to a knock he picked up in an SGFA Cup match the week before. He scored four league goals in 2014-15, his first coming in a 3-0 home win over Manorham on February 8. Grimm featured heavily for Rivergate in the first half of 2015-16, making regular appearances off the bench. He scored his first goal of the season in a 6-5 defeat to Banks City on November 28, 2015. Against Bonneville United a week later, Grimm assisted on his compatriot Reinhard Bürger's equalizing goal that helped secure a 1-1 draw. Grimm's only other goal of 2015-16 came on January 24, 2016, in a 3-1 win at Winston Beach, as he suffered an ankle injury against Independence on February 13 and missing all but the last four games of the season. Regardless of his injury woes, Grimm was offered a three-year extension by Rivergate following the 2015-16 season. Against Zane Hills on March 11, 2017, Grimm scored his long-awaited first goal of 2016-17 less than three minutes into the match, helping Rivergate to a 4-1 win and earning man of the match honors in the process. At the end of 2018-19, Rivergate released Grimm after choosing not to renew his contract. PSC Pirates On July 29, 2019, Grimm joined newly-promoted Port St. Christopher Pirates on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal with an option to extend if Pirates survive relegation from the 2019-20 League A season. Grimm made his Pirates debut on September 21's opening day home clash with Zane Hills. Starting in central midfield, Grimm picked up his side's first yellow card of the season in a 1-0 defeat to the Bullfrogs. On October 19, Grimm assisted on Jay Farmer's second half match-winner as Pirates got their first win of the season, beating Otway Town 2-1. Personal life Grimm met his wife, Soraya (née Clement), while at Temple University. Soraya, a Stateside Gregorian born in Bonneville, hoped to be closer to her family and convinced him to try out for a Gregorian club. The couple were married in 2017. Grimm applied for U.S. permanent residency in 2019, however his application was not approved in time for the 2019-20 League A season, meaning he will count against the SGFA's cap on foreign players for one more season. Category:Player pages Category:Port St. Christopher Pirates F.C. players Category:Rivergate F.C. players Category:People from Germany